A Dissection of the Break Free from Plastic Pollution Act
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Student Publications Student Scholarship Spring 2021 The Solution to Plastic Pollution: A Dissection of the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act Nadine M. Snyder Gettysburg College Follow this and additional works at: https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/student_scholarship Part of the Environmental Policy Commons, and the Environmental Studies Commons Share feedback about the accessibility of this item. Recommended Citation Snyder, Nadine M., "The Solution to Plastic Pollution: A Dissection of the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act" (2021). Student Publications. 914. https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/student_scholarship/914 This open access student research paper is brought to you by The Cupola: Scholarship at Gettysburg College. It has been accepted for inclusion by an authorized administrator of The Cupola. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Solution to Plastic Pollution: A Dissection of the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act Abstract Ever since the development of plastic in the 1900s, it has become one of the most commonly used materials in the world. Its flexibility and durability allow it to be used in a wide variety of materials from clothing to packaging to toothbrushes. However, plastic’s durability has caused environmental damage as well, as plastic particles have been found in everything from waterways to human bodies. This paper explains the history and science of plastic production and examines studies on the environmental and public health impacts of plastics. It then examines various policies that have been enacted to control plastic pollution and the effectiveness of those policies. Finally, it assesses the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act and investigates why certain stakeholders support and oppose this act. Ultimately research suggests that the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act would be effective at reducing plastic pollution in the United States, and the United States Congress should pass this act in order to protect both people and the environment from plastic pollution. Keywords Plastic, Environment, Policy, Politics Disciplines Environmental Policy | Environmental Studies | Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration Comments Written for PP 401: Advanced Topics in Public Policy Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. This student research paper is available at The Cupola: Scholarship at Gettysburg College: https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/student_scholarship/914 Nadine Snyder May 12th, 2021 The Solution to Plastic Pollution A Dissection of the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act Introduction The creation of plastic forever changed the economies and environments of countries across the globe. Today plastic is in almost everything, from clothing, to packaging, to toothbrushes. It has become inseparable from modern life. However, this may not be a good thing. Plastic pollutes our waterways and landscapes, and recent studies have shown that it even pollutes our bodies. However, attempts at regulating plastic use and production have not always been successful. The plastic industry has lots of money and power in the political game, and it is difficult to regulate a material that so many people are dependent on. Even so, given how difficult it is to remove plastic from our environment and bodies, it is now more important than ever for governments to regulate plastic. Therefore, The United States Government should pass the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act, in order to reduce plastic waste, improve waste management, and hold companies accountable for the harm their products do to the environment and society. Background History of Plastic Production Plastic was first created in 1907 in the form of Bakelite, a synthetic polymer that was designed to replace silk and ivory (Davis, 2015). During World War Two, the need for cheaper materials greatly boosted plastic use. Post World War Two, plastics were lauded as a cheap material that could be used for everything from packaging to clothing (Davis, 2015). Plastic consumption was generally not driven by the need for new technology, but instead by the price of the material. It was a cheap replacement for items that were already in use. It also allowed for an increase in global consumerism, as plastic materials, such as shrink wrap, made shipping processes far easier (Davis, 2015). In the past fifty years plastic production has increased dramatically. In 1960 plastic made up just 1% of all municipal solid waste in the United States. By 2005 plastic made up at least 10% of all municipal solid waste. Global plastic production has increased 620% since 1975 (Jambck et al, 2015). This rapid increase in plastic consumption and production makes it even more important that countries, such as the United States, have policies regulating the disposal of plastic, to ensure that pollution does not get out of hand. Science and Formation of Plastic Plastic is so popular as its flexibility allows it to be molded into a seemingly infinite number of products. The term plastics itself is defined as materials that at some stage in production are capable of flow that allows them to be extruded, molded, spun, or painted on as a coating (American Chemistry Council, 2021). Plastic is made from carbon atoms from monomers that come from oil or gas. Then these carbon atoms are chemically bonded to form polymers through a process called polymerization (American Chemistry Council, 2021). This is done by adding an enzyme, such as peroxide, that causes the monomers to link up. Plastic can also be formed through condensation, which is when catalysts are added to cause all atoms to react with the atoms surrounding them. In condensation byproducts, such as water, oftentime have to be disposed of before the newly linked polymers can be used (American Chemistry Council, 2021). After the polymer chains are formed additives can be added to the plastic to give it different properties. For example antioxidants can be added to the outside of plastic packaging, to prevent it from being damaged. Antimicrobials can be added to things such as shower curtains, to prevent bacteria growth. Flame retardants can be added to things such as wire and cable coverings, to ensure they do not catch fire. Colarants can be added to all types of plastic, to improve the aesthetics, and make the item unique when compared to other plastic items (American Chemistry Council, 2021). After all of these steps are complete, carbon molecules are transformed from oil to a plastic cup or other item. In general there are two main types of plastic, thermoplastics and thermoset plastics. Thermoplastics are formed of repeating units, called unit cells. Examples of different types of thermoplastics include ethene, propene, and butene, which differ in their number of carbon and hydrogen bonds (American Chemistry Council, 2021). There are two main groups of thermoplastics, homopolymers, which are formed of long chains of carbon bonds, or heteropolymers where the carbon atoms are divided by oxygen or nitrogen atoms. Homopolymers tend to be more durable than heteropolymers. In general, almost all plastics, approximately 92%, are thermoplastics (American Chemistry Council, 2021). All thermoplastics have a high molecular weight, which means that they can easily bond with thousands of other atoms. They also are easily meltable, and can be molded to form a variety of objects.Thermosets are plastics that are not meltable, as they are formed from 2 or 3 dimensional configurations of atoms, not just a single chain (American Chemistry Council, 2021). The chemical bonds in plastic make it very difficult to decompose. On average plastic takes 20 to 500 years to decompose. The decomposition rate of plastic products depends on the strength of the plastic it is made out of. For example weaker plastic such as the plastic in a plastic grocery bag can take 20 years to decompose, whereas studier plastic, such as the plastic in a toothbrush can take around 450 years (Godswill and Godspel, 2019). This makes recycling plastic incredibly important, as if it is not recycled it will spend decades sitting in landfills. However, 91% of plastic is not recycled. Thermoplastics, which comprise the majority of plastics can be recycled, while thermoset plastics, which comprise 8% of all plastics cannot be recycled (Sedaghat, 2018). This is because the weaker bonds of thermoplastics allow them to be easily broken down and formed into other materials, whereas the stronger bonds of thermoset plastics make them difficult to remold. However, thermoplastics can generally only be recycled 2 or 3 times before the quality of the plastic deteriorates to a point where it cannot be reused (Sedaghat, 2018). This process is called downcycling, and it happens to the majority of recycled goods. All of this information is especially concerning considering that 8.3 billion metric tons of plastic have been produced since 1960. 6.3 billion metric tons of this plastic has become waste (Sedaghat, 2018). This waste causes environmental, public health, and environmental justice issues that need to be addressed. Environmental Effects of Plastic Plastic waste causes severe harm to the environment, particularly to ocean ecosystems. One study found that in 2010 275 million metric tons of plastic was created by 192 coastal countries. 99.5 million metric tons of this plastic waste was created by people living within 50 kilometers of the coast (Jambeck et al, 2015). Plastic waste is at a greater risk of entering the ocean when it is mismanaged, or when it does not make its way to a landfill, incinerator, or recycling center. It is estimated that 31.9 million metric tons of the 99.5 million metric tons of coastal waste that was generated was mismanaged, and 4.8 to 12.7 million tons of this waste ended up in the ocean (Jambeck et al, 2015). As the amount of plastic used by global populations increases, the amount of mismanaged waste will as well.